Companies benefitting from advances in machine learning

Awesome, not awesome.

#Awesome“When comparing the outputs of the machine learning models against the traditional models, machine learning fares 10–20% better when predicting the track of weather and up to 30% better predicting the intensity of hurricanes…You can envision a day where maybe forecasters are working less on the track of the storm and more on the impacts, and communicating those impacts to the public more than they are right now.” — Dave Gershgorn, Artificial Intelligence ReporterLearn More on Quartz >

#Not Awesome“A computer algorithm [that can] correctly distinguish between gay and straight men 81% of the time, and 74% for women — has raised questions about the potential for this kind of software to violate people’s privacy or be abused for anti-LGBT purposes. It’s easy to imagine spouses using the technology on partners they suspect are closeted, or teenagers using the algorithm on themselves or their peers. More frighteningly, governments that continue to prosecute LGBT people could hypothetically use the technology to out and target populations.” — Sam Levin, Reporter Learn More on The Guardian >

What we’re reading.

1/ From precisely predicting demand to filtering product suggestions based on purchase history, the benefits machine learning creates for e-commerce companies are massive. Learn More on All Things Distributed >

2/ With Russia lagging behind the US in China in developing AI systems, Vladimir Putin argues that Russian progress in the field will lead to a more stable globe. Learn More on WIRED >

3/ A group of journalists create a list of algorithms built by the U.S. government to give us all some much needed visibility. Learn More on Algorithm Tips >

4/ Many fear that AI automation will be the great destroyer of jobs, but large retailers like Amazon are hiring ever more people — they don’t just want to produce the same thing cheaper, they want to offer better products. Learn More on The Wall Street Journal >

5/ AI systems that analyze external appearances to detect a person’s internal might eliminate the privacy of one’s own thoughts. Learn More on OZY >

6/ Lawmakers pass a unanimous vote that paves the way for automakers to put self-driving cars on the road within the next few years. Learn More on The New York Times >

7/ HR professionals work hand-in-hand with AI software to onboard new employees, but the data created by their tasks could ultimately be used to automate them out of a job — unless they grow into non-routine roles. Learn More on Chicago Tribune >

What we’re building.

At work, our inboxes fill up quicker than we can empty them, important knowledge and key decisions are posted and immediately lost in Slack, and most jobs require jumping between at least 3–5 siloed tools to do anything. Information overload is wreaking havoc on our ability to process information, make decisions, and be productive.

We’re building Journal to centralize and give you instant access to the conversations and knowledge you need to work faster. At the beginning of August, we shipped a new version of Journal to 40 beta testers.

Join our waitlist, and you’ll be one of the first people to get free access to our chrome extension. You’ll never forget important ideas or lose time recreating work again.

Links from the community.

“Facebook and Microsoft introduce new open ecosystem for interchangeable AI frameworks” submitted by Samiur Rahman. Learn More on Facebook Research >

“Pay with your face at KFC” submitted by Jake Hart Learn More on CNN >